Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey men's basketball team won for the fifth time in six games as they turned back Kean University 81-68 in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday  night.
 
Sophomore Eric Murdock, Jr. (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater) led a balanced attack with 22 points as four Lions reached double figures in the game. TCNJ had the better of play on the interior as well as the perimeter and kept pace in conference standings, moving to 5-3 in the league and 9-5 overall.
 
Kean dropped to 2-11 on the season and 2-6 in conference play.
 
Junior Eric Klacik (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) had a tremendous second half, netting 13 of his 15 points after the break including three field goals from behind the arc. Freshman Jordan Glover (Lawrence, NJ/Lawrence) matched his season-high with 18 points and junior Nick Alaimo (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) finished with 10 points.
 
The Lions took command in the opening half. Glover drained a three-point field goal to give TCNJ its largest lead of the period at 28-19 with 4:18 remaining in the half. The Cougars awakened, however, and ran off 12 unanswered points. They took their first lead of the night when Tommy Soulias (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) knocked down a long three-pointer with 1:44 left on the clock.
 
Murdock, Jr. buried a three to end the drought as TCNJ tallied the final seven points of the period to take a 35-31 into the locker room.
 
A 13-2 run gave the Lions some breathing room early in the second half. Klacik scored eight straight points, hitting back-to-back three pointers before scooping in a layup off of transition to put TCNJ ahead 48-37.
 
Cougar guard Kevin Grek (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) hit a jumper to cut the visitor deficit to 60-55, but a 14-1 tear by the Lions put the game out of reach. Glover had a freakish five-point play that included a three-point field goal as he was fouled, converted the free-throw, and then sank another foul shot off of a technical.
 
Murdock, Jr., the reigning NJAC Player of the Week, had eight assists and seven rebounds to complement his fourth straight 20-plus point game. Glove grabbed eight boards and sophomore Steven Kelly (Newton, NJ/Newton) muscled his way to five points and six rebounds.
 
Soulias led Kean with 21 points, while freshman Justin Watson (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) and senior Mike Diamond Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg) each finished with 14 points.
 
The Lions continue NJAC play this Saturday when they host Williams Paterson University at 1 p.m. in Packer Hall.